Change of scenery should help veteran backs
Adam Schein / Special to FOXSports.com
Posted: 1 hour ago
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/6551326 When you take the tour on the running back carousel, you can only come to one conclusion.
It's a win for everyone involved.
That's exactly how we grade out the Willis McGahee trade for both sides and the free agent pick-up Cleveland made when it signed Jamal Lewis.
Don't worry about the Bills. Coach Dick Jauron likes his options in free agency and gave Adam Schein his thoughts on a couple of candidates that have visited Buffalo.
The Bills needed to get rid of Willis McGahee.
McGahee, while talented, became a major distraction off the field. McGahee didn't show up to workouts and mini-camps last off-season. He said Buffalo was a boring city and that the franchise should move to Toronto. And McGahee was mad knowing Buffalo didn't have visions of signing him to a mega-buck deal when he was scheduled to be a free agent after the 2007 season.
That attitude isn't going to go over well in a hard-working city with rabid, passionate fans. And it surely wasn't going to please Dick Jauron and Marv Levy, who were not in place when he was drafted.
To be frank, McGahee, who amassed just 990 rushing yards last year, never really dominated games last season (unless he was playing the Jets) and was never as good as he thought he was.
Jauron wants to bring back Anthony Thomas and maybe sign a veteran free agent like Corey Dillon or Chris Brown. (For Dick Jauron's breakdown on the pair, see the blog). He might even take one in the draft after the first round.
Plus, Jauron was borderline giddy (well, as giddy as possible for Jauron) about the Buffalo free agency pick-ups, specifically the offensive line additions of new starting guard Derrick Dockery and the pick-up of Jason Whittle for depth.
On the other side, this is also a win for the Ravens.
As big of a fan as I am of Jamal Lewis, and as productive as he was as a Raven, Willis McGahee is a better back, and a better fit, for Baltimore now than Lewis.
The environment in Baltimore, compared to Buffalo, with Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, and Steve McNair, is more favorable for McGahee to succeed.
McGahee needed a change of scenery.
We won't be surprised to see McGahee jump from a very solid back to a great one in 2007. He'll be focused. And he has the talent.
McGahee will be surrounded by players from Miami and will be playing for a team that has serious and legit designs on winning a championship.
His speed, hands, and ability to pass protect will instantly help the Ravens offense.
And Brian Billick's specialty is dealing with all sorts of personalities.
Ozzie Newsome gave up a lot of draft picks but acquired a back who could be a difference-maker en route to going deep in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, we applaud Cleveland for inking Jamal Lewis to a one year deal.
He's better than Reuben Droughns and has an enormous chip on his shoulder.
Lewis, who rushed for a whopping 500 total yards against the Browns in 2003 in two games, told us on Thursday that he cannot wait to be in Cleveland, mainly because they want to run the ball even more than the Ravens did.
Lewis said, "I think they are committed to me. That's why I decided to come. They want to run the football and they want me to be the guy."
Lewis picked management's brain about the third overall pick and was told that even if the team picks Adrian Peterson, Lewis is the main guy for 2007 .
Lewis stressed that he leaves Baltimore with no ill feelings, and confessed that in his opinion he stayed in Baltimore a year too long, but says at the end he just wasn't on the same page as Billick.
"I am just not his style of runner," Lewis said. "I am not the type of guy he wants. That's why he wanted to keep Chester Taylor last year. He wants more of a scat back. I can catch the football but that's really what he wants to develop and that's the type of running back that he likes."
Lewis also revealed that there was contact from both the Broncos and Steelers before the signed in Cleveland.---------------------------------------------------------
Notice how he mentions A.P....
Our backfield could look like New Orleans this year. Sure he would be the feature back... 51% of the carries is featured right ?
Because this definitely says that Jamal Lewis is a long-term solution, right? This is a stretch, even for you.
, Joe Thomas SHOULD be the guy if we have the option. DO NOT be mistaken, if it's the option between Joe Thomas and Adrian Peterson it WILL BE Joe Thomas. Any other selection doesn't make sense. 
